1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator with a dispenser, an ice maker and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most large refrigerators recently on the market are provided with a dispenser by which ice or water contained therein can be dispensed without opening a refrigerator door. Therefore, the dispenser can prevent cold air within the refrigerator from escaping to the outside and provide users with more convenience. The refrigerator constructed as such is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,130.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a conventional refrigerator with an ice maker and a dispenser, as disclosed in the '130 patent. Referring to the figure, water that has flowed from the outside into the refrigerator through a connection tube D1 passes through and is purified in a filter 1 mounted to a main body 0 of the refrigerator. Then, the water is supplied or introduced to either an ice maker 2 for making ice or a storage tank 3 for storing the purified water. A water supply valve 4 is installed between the filter 1 and the ice maker/water storage tank 2, 3 so as to regulate an amount of water to be supplied to the ice maker 2 or storage tank 3.
The ice maker 2 and the water storage tank 3 are connected to a dispenser 6 installed in a refrigerator door 5, through connection tubes D3, D2, respectively. The stored water and ice are supplied to the dispenser 6 through the connection tubes D2, D3, respectively. Then, a user can eat and drink the ice and water discharged from a dispenser 6 through a dispensing port (not shown). In the '130 patent, the ice maker 2 may also be installed to the main body 0 adjacent to the dispenser 6 so that the ice can be directly supplied to the dispenser 6 without using the connection tube D3.
However, there are the following problems in the prior art.
First of all, only the dispenser 6 is mounted to the refrigerator door 5 and most other components related to the dispenser 6 are mounted in the main body 0 of the refrigerator. For example, the components such as the ice maker 2, the water storage tank 3, and the filter 1 used for purifying water supplied to the dispenser and ice maker 6, 2 are arranged in the main body 0 of the refrigerator. Thus, there is a problem in that a refrigerator manufactured with the above components not included therein cannot be upgraded for use in such a dispenser function.
Further, since the components related to the dispenser 6 are spaced apart from the dispenser 6, additional components are needed for transferring the water or ice between the dispenser-related components. Therefore, there is another problem in that more interior space in the refrigerator is allocated for the additional components and the interior configuration thereof is also complicated.
Furthermore, since the filter 1 of the refrigerator is generally mounted on a rear surface or in a rear portion of the main body 0 of the refrigerator, it is difficult to exchange the filter.